Add More Veggies, Eat More Veggies

You know you’re supposed to eat your veggies at every meal, but did you know that upping your intake is easier than you think? New research from Penn State University suggests that increasing the ratio of vegetables-to-everything-else on your plate makes it much easier to get your daily allowance of vegetables. The research followed two groups: one group replaced a portion of the meat or grains on their plate with vegetables and another group simply added more vegetables to their plates.

Turns out, besides being a healthy habit, increasing vegetable consumption at a meal will help your weight loss efforts when you use an extra helping of veggies to replace another part of your meal. The same study found cutting down on the meat or grains and piling on the veggies not only equaled higher intake, it reduced the overall calories in the meal without decreasing the volume of food on your plate. In fact, subjects in the study that ate more vegetables and less meat and grains were just as satisfied after a meal as those who added additional helpings without decreasing serving sizes of other items. Great news if you’re trying to add a little leafy green into your life — just add another scoop onto your plate!